When will Cong Phuong and Xuan Truong officially be promoted to the V-League?

Even though it remains possible they could fail to become champions, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai possesses overwhelming advantages to claim the First Division title.

With only two rounds left in the 2025/26 National First Division, the race for the championship has not yet officially ended. Despite holding a huge advantage, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai cannot be completely at ease about the direct promotion ticket to next season's V.League. Since this season's V.League has 1.5 relegation slots, the First Division is also granted 1.5 promotion slots to the top tier. The champion earns direct promotion, while the runner-up must compete in a playoff against the second-to-last team in the V.League.

Currently, Dong Nai leads the standings with 47 points after 20 matches, five points ahead of Bac Ninh FC. This gap gives head coach Nguyen Viet Thang's team an absolute edge in the championship race. They only need to earn two more points from their remaining two games to secure the title, regardless of their rivals' results.

In fact, if they defeat Long An in round 21, the Southeast team will clinch the championship one match early. This is considered the ideal scenario, as it eliminates all pressure in the final stretch. However, if they fail to win, the risk of losing the top spot still exists in theory.

The worst-case scenario for Dong Nai is losing both remaining matches. In that case, they would stop at 47 points. If Bac Ninh FC takes full advantage by collecting all six points from their last two games, the Kinh Bac team would rise to 48 points, overtaking Dong Nai to claim the championship and the direct promotion slot.

Additionally, Dong Nai could lose the lead if they pick up only one point in the final two rounds while Bac Ninh wins both matches. In that situation, both teams would finish with 48 points. According to tournament regulations, head-to-head results take precedence over goal difference when teams are level on points.

In this head-to-head metric, Bac Ninh holds a clear advantage, having drawn 0-0 in the first leg and won 2-1 in the second leg against Dong Nai. This means they would finish above if the two teams are tied on points. Therefore, to avoid being passive and waiting for other results, Dong Nai must complete their task against Long An in the upcoming round. A victory would officially secure them the championship and the ticket to play in the V.League for the 2026/27 season.